Il y a longtemps que notre pays est beau mais rude.
--Newspaper editor Olivier Séguret, 25 January 2012
The USA are entirely the creation of the accursed race, the French.
--Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966), writing to Nancy Mitford, 22 May 1957
The mayor of Calais is suing Marine Le Pen of the Front National for saying "repeatedly" that citizens in Calais need a pass issued by the mayor to get to their own homes (because of the number of migrants in the town). In fact, the passes are issued by the police prefecture.
"À nous de vous faire préférer le train!"
"Voyager autrement"
"Avec le SNCF, tout est possible"
--Former ad slogans of the SNCF (French national trains), each in turn quickly dropped
(literally: marmoset)
Etymology: onomatopoeia from the sound a marmoset makes. Actual meaning: this is what you say in France when you want people to smile for the camera.
Selon une étude réalisée par le fabricant d’appareils photo Nikon, le « ouistiti » utilisé en France au moment de se faire prendre en photo est le petit mot le plus efficace pour s’assurer un joli sourire.
Private sector
First strike in 43 years at an aeronautics company in Toulouse, Latécoère
Public sector
The SNCF (toujours eux), regional train employees in the Lyons area guaranteeing unpleasant travel from the 17th-21st December
Also yet another strike by Sud-Rail, a particularly truculent SNCF union in the south of France, this time five days in January: 6,7, 21, 22 and 23. "We have no choice." Right.
Marseilles trams on strike until February
« Anomalies of French Life: the firemen's calendar | Main | Bee-keeping in Paris »
The Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived! The Japanese are such fans that apparently some of them bathe in it (looks cold). The Chinese are snatching it up. When I lived in Boston, it was quite a big deal in my neighborhood, Beacon Hill.
But in Paris, it's hard to find anyone paying attention. Even the liquor store has a little handmade sign, not very noticeable. Why not? I asked a French colleague today.
"Because it's not good wine!" he answered. Of course, he's from Burgundy.
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In Paris, the purest virtue is the object of the filthiest slander.
–Honoré Balzac (1799-1850), in Scènes de la vie privée
À Paris, la vertu la plus pure est l'objet des plus sales calomnies.
Annual Geminids meteor shower (shooting stars!) coming this weekend, if it's not too cloudy out at night.
Keith Eckstein also has a new book review site, Books About France
Your French colleague is absolutely right, Beaujolais nouveau is not a good wine, actually it is less than acceptable...
However there are some nice wines grom the Beaujolais like the crus Morgon and Fleurie.
Posted by: Henri Bik | 16 November 2012 at 23:35
When I was a foreign exchange student in La Rochelle (just after the Earth cooled) the students were 6 deep at the bar chanting "beaujolais, beaujolais!" Since then I've introduced it to my extended family as a nice compliment to Thanksgiving and it has become a family tradition. Odd how things work like that.
Posted by: JustMe | 19 November 2012 at 21:43
What a nice tradition! More traditions around Thanksgiving is always a good thing, as far as I'm concerned.
Don't you think the students liked it because it's cheap, though?
Posted by: Sedulia | 20 November 2012 at 10:05